Work For It
by Kanahit
Summary: The trio has split up since they left Hogwarts. Hermione works as a professor, and now Ron is, too! When Hermione's feelings become too much, what happens next? Yes, I stink at summaries. COMPLETE


Hermione was a good girl. A happy girl. She was friends with Harry Potter, something other girls would kill to be. She was also friends with Ron Weasley. But she felt it wasn't enough just being Ron's friend. What had started as a silly crush in third year soon grew to love after they left school. Well, after Harry and Ron left school. Hermione had decided to stay at Hogwarts as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor after her friends had left. 

Hermione enjoyed her job. She even had her own private quarters just off of her office for her own personal use. It had a comfortable couch, bookshelf, fireplace, desk, and other things. Her bedchamber had a queen-sized bed with scarlet and gold hangings, a few paintings, a dresser, table, and a large window with curtains.

Everything went good for her for about two years. She enjoyed teaching the students and got along with the other new professors as well as the older ones. Classes went by with only the occasional problem, point deduction, or detention. There was only one downside.

She had slowly stopped meeting up with Harry and Ron since she started working at Hogwarts. She never had time anymore. She was now always busy grading papers, sorting her books, planning lessons, or tutoring the occasional student that needed help with one thing or another.

But she never once dated or slept with anyone after her school says at Hogwarts ended.

Her heart remained set on Ronald Weasley. She dreamed of running her hands through his firey hair. (Oh, how soft it would feel as it slid through her fingers!) How her fingers longed to roam across his chest; feel every inch of his skin she could get to. At night in her bedchamber she thought about him, and fell asleep only to be overcome by dreams of him.

Then when she was about to begin her third year of teaching, the dreaded happened.

She had received the normal Daily Prophet like every morning, but on one of the back pages an article caught her interest.

**_Ronald Weasley To Return To Hogwarts_**

_Delightful reporter Rita Skeeter came across some exciting news concerning Ronald Weasley, previous keeper for the Chudley Cannons. He appears to have applied for a job as the Transfiguration professor at Hogwarts after Minerva McGonagal retired earlier this year. Rumors have also been heard about a love interest for Weasley.._

'No. Ron can't be coming here to work. He can't! And him being in love just makes it worse...' Hermione thought frantically.

Even if he wasn't in love, she didn't want him here. She wanted to stay away from him to watch him from afar. He had never shown an interest in her that she had seen; and with him here, she would not be able to hold herself back. She would mess up their friendship that had already grown thin. And him being in love just made it worse!

When Ron had arrived at the school, Hermione remained hidden in her living quarters. She claimed to be planning class schedules despite the fact that she had already planned them the month before. The only place she couldn't avoid him was at meals. She always ate quickly and returned to her room with claims of work to do. She never noticed the slightly disappointed looks from Ron.

As the weeks went on, it seemed to be getting harder and harder to avoid the redheaded professor. Hermione began to feel trapped, and got nervous around him. She feared she wouldn't be able to hold her feelings in much longer. And there was still Ron's love. Even students began to notice how different their professors were acting.

It was Christmas. Hermione was in the Astronomy tower. It was snowing, her black cloak slowly being flecked with small, white snowflakes. Under her cloak she wore a simple light blue jumper and jeans. The majority of the students were away for the holiday, so the professors could dress how they wanted.

She wasn't sure how long she was up there. Her thoughts drifted from one thing to another as she watched the snow fall. From her next class, to the party she was most likely missing in the Great Hall. From what she needed to buy, to Ron.

Ron. He still stayed in her thoughts. In her dreams. Her fantasies. She gazed at him when he wasn't looking, but always looked away quickly to avoid risking being caught staring.

She stayed out there for another half hour before finally moving. She took a quill and parchment from her cloak pocket and began to write. She didn't write much, but it took her a while. She folded the parchment and set it on a worktable, putting her ink bottle on top of it to stop the winds from blowing it away. Briefly, she took out her wand and touched it to the parchment as she muttered an incantation. She put her wand away.

Unbuttoning her cloak, she carefully stepped up onto the wall of the tower. She kept herself from falling by resting her palms against one of the stony pillars. Taking a deep breath, she scanned the dark, glittering grounds with her eyes. She smiled, watching a student's cat streak across the snow far below.

With a glance behind her at the door of the tower, she let go of the pillar. A few steps across the narrow wall, and she turned to face outwards. Then she jumped. She wasn't sure, but she might have heard a door opening followed by a shout. The wind whipped past her ears as she fell towards the ground. Her arms stretched out on either side of her, her cloak billowing out behind her. She hit the snow-covered ground and knew no more.

She hadn't wanted to make Ron unhappy by possibly telling him her feelings. He already loved someone, and she would only be a burden as they tried to sort everything out. She had known her actions were going to be stupid, but it had been all she could think of to make things better.

When the students returned from their break two weeks later, they were startled to discover two of their professors were missing. Professor Granger was found dead below the Astronomy tower. She had taken her own life by jumping.

Professor Weasley had also taken his life by jumping after Professor Granger. She had been the one he loved. He had been looking for her all Christmas night. The last place he had checked was the Astronomy tower, but he had been too late.

He had walked through the door just as she had jumped. With a shout, he had lunged after her, wildly thinking he could somehow save her. But he had only succeeded in dying beside her in the snow. The note she had written had been blown off of the table and ended up between the table leg and a stone.

It went unnoticed for many years until a fifth year Gryffindor girl picked it up one night when she came up here. She had been up here many times before, but she hadn't seen it there before now. Unfolding the old, worn parchment, she was able to make out part of what it said, though large parts were missing..

_If you are reading this, Ron, I love you. (Here, she could not make out anything in the large space) I could not bear to tell you, lest I mess things up between you and the one you love.  
-Love, Hermione_

_If you are not Ron, then you have found this for a reason. I put a charm on this parchment so that anyone who comes up here with the same idea I have would find it. Please think through what you're about to do. If there's anything you are questioning get your questions answered. I'm taking the easy way out, but there are some things that you just need to work a little for.  
Hermione Granger_

A/N: You've all heard about the people who write their first fic, and it's absolutely fantastic? Well, I'm the opposite. I've written tons of fics, and they all stink. Don't really know why I keep writing. Oh well. It keeps me sane, I guess. So, yeah. it won't kill me if you review badly or criticize me, but please don't totally burn me. And yeah, I know the last part does not make any sense at all.


End file.
